Job market prefers BSN , turns away ADN

I'm graduating tomorrow with my BSN. My program was only one year, but in that one year, I had 910 clinical hours with my preceptor, 40 hours postpartum/antepartum, 40 hours mental health, 40 hours pediatrics, and 40 hours of community health.

My point is I have will actually have more clinical experience at graduation than someone with a ADN. If the hospital is going to pay both of us the same (or similar amounts) why wouldn't they hire those with the higher degree?

Are you sure your math is correct? In one year of school, you worked 25 weeks "full time"? In addition to that 160 hours, another 13 weeks full time? Please recheck, as a friend of mine who is a NP told me, that NP only need about 650 hours. How could you do that much clinical time, and take all the classes that other programs do in 2 years (BSN or ADN).

Not judging, but I have never heard of anything that intense.....not even with NP schools that I have been checking into.

Hi All...
I'm new to this site. I am looking at nursing programs in Boston, namely part-time evening programs since I work full time in an unrelated field (I have my BS in Marketing/Econ). I figure an ADN would be a good way for me to get my feet wet since I really don't know what I'm getting into. I have friends who have become nurses and they absolutely love what the do - their patients, the hours, the money of course. I am very reluctant to join a BSN or accelerated BSN program since there's a lot of risk involved there (higher cost, would require me to quit my job). I live in Boston and would want to work in a hospital after I graduate. Can anyone provide insights on: a) what the job market will look like in Boston in 2-3 years (I'm hearing it's rough right now); and b) is it worth going the ADN route instead of BSN given my reservations / ignorance to the profession right now? c) am I going to have a harder time finding a job w/ an ADN vs a BSN? I really really hope nursing is for me. Any help/insights are so very appreciated.

If they are looking at magnet status this may play into it. The number of nurses educated at higher levels "looks" better. I was on a committee at my old hospital and they looked heavily at how many nurses had PHd, MSN, MS, BSN, ADN and how we could have more tuition reimbursement so we could increase those going back to school for BSN and above.

otessa

How many hours clinical did you get in your ADN? I got 900 hrs plus 300 extra credit hours with my BSN. Besides, clinical skills are easy to teach. My BSN was 6 semesters the ADN is only four...how could they possibly have more clinical than BSN?

In years past, it was often very difficult if not impossible to transfer academic from a diploma program to BSN program. However, over the last decade or so there has been a major effort made to ease the transition and allow for the transfer of far more credits.

Diploma programs have been smart enough to realize that they could not survive if there graduates were unable to advance their educations beyond that initial diploma. And universities have been smart enough to realize that the students looking for BSN completion programs can be a source of revenue. They don't need the 10:1 student to faculty ratios for clinical classes because they already have RN licenses. They can take classes with lots of students in them which are cheaper for the school to provide. So ... by making the transfer of credits easier, everybody wins. And that is happened.

So, it's not nearly as bad as it used to be as long as your classes were taken at properly accredited programs.